Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

The Root of Myanmar’s Unending Civil War

Apr 29, 2024 | Ursinus College

Myanmar as a nation is poverty-stricken, polarized, and plagued with military rule, completely ravaged by an ongoing civil war. Freedom House gives the country a total...

Trying to Revive democracy in Honduras by Neil O’Donnell

Apr 29, 2024 | Ursinus College

Trying to Revive democracy in Honduras Honduras has been a Democracy that has been struggling for a very long time with multiple aspects of society and Government. We have...

Benin: How Elections Led to Democratic Backsliding

Apr 21, 2022 | Boston University

Patrice Talon (L) is handed a national flag during his swearing in as president of Benin at Charles de Gaulle Stadium in the capital Porto-Novo on April 6, 2016. Businessman Patrice Talon was sworn...

DeSantis Assumes Control of Redistricting in Florida

Apr 21, 2022 | Boston University

In recent weeks, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis achieved a major victory in the state’s redistricting process following an announcement by Republican leaders in Florida's legislature that they will...

Going Nuclear, and Its Threats to American Democracy

Apr 21, 2022 | Boston University

In 2013, United States Senate Democrats went nuclear. That is, they changed the rules so that it would take only a simple majority to override a filibuster and confirm nominees for cabinet posts as...

The Radical Right Has Found a New Home: Rumble

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

Media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have cracked down on the spread of misinformation and far-right conspiracy theories after the 2020 election. Many conservatives believe these...

Conspiracy in American Politics: QAnon Steps Up to the Political Stage

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

QAnon, a political conspiracy movement, has grown in popularity in recent years among political right extremists. According to the Grid investigative journalist Steve Riley--an expert on threats to...

“At Once Pro-Choice and Pro-Life:” What Recent Radical Changes in Abortion Law Mean for Democracy At Large

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

An article in the April 16th, 2022 issue of The Economist, “What Happens If America’s Supreme Court Overturns Women’s Right to Abortion,” dives into...

The Era of Misinformation: Social Media and Political Discourse’s Strained Relationship

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

The New York Times’s article “Barack Obama Takes On a New Role: Fighting Disinformation” by Steven Lee Myers and Cecilia Kang presents the new steps and direction former President Obama is taking in...

Democratic Backsliding in Tunisia: The Lone Democracy in the Arab World

Apr 20, 2022 | Boston University

Emerging as a democracy after the Arab Spring, Tunisia was a source of hope and a leading example for the development of democracy in the Arab world - something highly supported by the European...

What Is the Matter with Many American Voters?

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

One of the greatest paradoxes in politics that has stirred up in the United States for several years has been trying to understand why a large portion of the working class began voting against its...